November 7, 2009
#193: Cosmos, Carl Sagan, Interview with Ann Druyan, Nick Sagan, Dan Werthimer
This week: Ann Druyan and Nick Sagan give us a unique and heartfelt look into the origins of Cosmos and Contact — and what esteemed scientist, citizen, father, and husband Carl Sagan was really like. SETI @ Home chief scientist Dan Werthimer explains humanity’s actual plan for how to deal with the discovery of an extra-terrestrial signal. We watch and discuss Contact. And we catch up on sci-fi news, including new books in the I, Robot series, an SG-U writer/producers blog meltdown, hope for Dr. Horrible 2, and the first How To Train Your Dragon trailer. Don’t forget: We’re celebrating Carl Sagan’s 75th birthday with a party on TalkShoe starting at 8pm CT Monday, Nov. 9th. (Details on galacticwatercooler.com!)
Galactic Watercooler 
Modern Geek 
Save Eureka 
Eff This Week 
FitSmart
Dear Sir,
I am just listening to this pod cast and I am absolutely THRILLED that you chose to use my music in the background to the interview with Ann Druyan.
I have been a fan of Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan since he first appeared on UK TV in 1975. I have many of his books – Cosmos, Comet, Billions and Billions etc and Cosmos was instrumental in my career choice.
Wow. I am actually pretty emotional listening to this… 🙂
Very best wishes
David Hughes
Ion / Thinking Metal Music
Great interview. I love listening to Ann (so well spoken!) and to how some of her and Carl’s works came about. The music in the background of her talking was distracting, but it was pretty music (kudos to David)!
One hell of an interview? Yeah… if you like softball questions, sophomoric film analysis and love fest formulaic banter. (Stoned Chick: if you can’t keep up with the conversation, best not try to join in at all.) I so wish Menno Meyjes had had a fair crack at this material, as Ms. Druyan suggested. It couldn’t have been worse than what we got from Zemeckis. As long time supporters of Stanley Kubrick, the studio functionaries at Warner Bros. should have known better than to interfere with real genius. The only feeling I’m left with upon seeing Contact now is ‘what it so clearly isn’t, and what it might have been.’ Contact was awful. Nick Sagan offers the faintest glimpse at the depth Contact could have achieved when he mentions the precipice of our forthcoming singularity. Apollo 13? No. This could have been, should have been, another 2001. Either set your sights a little higher, or stop wasting my time. Ellie isn’t ‘so together.’ She’s a doormat, and this movie was painfully dated the moment it was released. SAT question – Cosmos is to Astronomy 101 as Contact is to…? Answer: Remedial Rationalism for Podcasters.
…thus lending proof to the adage:
When common sense fails to prevail-
try good manners.
John, I’m awarding you bonus irony points for using “stoned chick” and “our forthcoming singularity” in a single paragraph.
John Kennell said “Either set your sights a little higher, or stop wasting my time. ”
Dude, last time I checked, your exposure to the things that are “wasting your time” was self-intiated and voluntary. Up your meds.
Something tells me this guy is angry at a lot of things, not just sci-fi podcasts :\
i just re-listened to a bit of the cast and I guess I’m stoned too, cause I totally connected with it.
Dear Ann Druyan Can you please tell 600 million in 60 countries around the World WHY The Emmy and Peabody Award winning series 87 minutes and remastered in 2000 distillation of the greatest moments of the thirteen hour series THE BEST OF COSMOS has been and is being censored?
Mike- what are you talking about?
What’s that, mike?